


a place on earth

by ErjaStark



Series: Pepperony Week 2020 [1]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, BAMF Pepper Potts, Coming In Pants, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Getting Together, Idiots in Love, Implied Sexual Content, Making Out, Seven Minutes In Heaven Game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:07:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24825787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ErjaStark/pseuds/ErjaStark
Summary: Pepper finally shows up to one of Tony's frat parties.A game of seven minutes in heaven results in more than Tony could have possibly hoped for.
Relationships: Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, minor Thor/Bruce Banner - Relationship
Series: Pepperony Week 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1795696
Comments: 8
Kudos: 61





	a place on earth

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Pepperony Week 2020: College AU

The sound of loud cheering echoes through the large living room as Clint rips open the door to reveal the two men on the other side of it. Thor looks as smug as one could be as he strolls out of the broom closet, head held high and a bright smirk plastered across his face. He makes sure to high five Clint after the man whistles his approval for the scene he just witnessed happening inside the small space. 

Tony can’t help but laugh at the figure stumbling after Thor. He likes Bruce, he really does, the man is stupidly smart and one of his closest friends, but the blush that is currently colouring his cheeks is just too hilarious to ignore. Tony knows about the crush that Bruce has had on the tall blond for over a year now and watching his friend finally get what he so desperately craved but never dared to admit is weirdly delightful. 

The two men don’t rejoin the group that’s sitting on the floor but instead start heading towards the entrance of the house. Tony cranes his neck, trying to catch Bruce’s eye. It’s hard with how the other brunette is avoiding everyone’s stare but when he does look up for a moment, Tony is ready to wink at him, the smirk on his face almost as wide as Thor’s. Almost. It’s hard to compete with a guy who just took part in a 7-minute make-out session.

“Alright, who's next?” Natasha’s question directs everyone’s attention back to the game at hand. She lifts up the empty beer bottle, shaking it to emphasize her point. “I’m not going again before all of you went at least _once_ , you cowards.” 

Natasha is right, she’s been the first one to enter the closet, joining them again afterwards with not one hair out of place while Rogers, that lucky bastard, quickly hurried off into some quiet corner of the house. Probably to wank off - not that Tony blames him for that. While he’s never actually had the pleasure to experience the redhead’s wild side (not counting the times she has screamed at him) he is fairly certain that she left the poor guy with a spinning head. 

“Stark!” 

An elbow in his side brings Tony back to the present. He hisses at Bucky, half-heartedly swatting the taller man’s arm away. 

“Don’t do that. You’re stupidly strong.” Bucky’s shit-eating grin has Tony rolling his eyes and direct his attention back to the woman that is staring at him, waiting for... something. 

“What?”  
  
“I asked if you’d finally get off your ass and take part in the game _you_ suggested.” 

Tony scowls but reaches for the bottle regardless. Natasha has a point, he’s been the one to get this game started. As much as he wants to pretend that it has been with the intention of making his friends happy, Tony knows that no one will buy that, himself included. 

“What can I say? I enjoy watching other people get to second base in my dad’s broom closet.” 

That isn’t even a lie. Being forced to sit down and have dinner with the old man will be a lot more entertaining now that Tony can look at the wooden door and think about all the shenanigans his friends have gotten up to behind it. Hopefully, he can come up with a good enough lie when he spits his overpriced meat all over the overpriced tablecloth while sitting on that overpriced table. 

“Of course,” Natasha replies, unimpressed as ever, “But now it’s your turn, you good samaritan. Spin that bottle before I smack you over the head with it.”  
  
Knowing her, Tony is aware that the threat isn’t one to be ignored - and he prefers not to go to the E.R at this time of night, or explain to his parents why he’s running around with a bandage wrapped around his head once they return from their business travel. Then again, he doubts that his father would even notice. 

Tony leans forward and puts the bottle down, right in the middle of their little circle. He flexes his wrist, ready to let it spin and choose the person he’ll get to know a lot better in the following minutes when Natasha’s voice cuts through the air. 

“Pepper!”  
  
Tony freezes, eyes snapping up to stare at the newcomer as she approaches. He can’t believe that she actually came. As far as he knows, Pepper never attends any fret parties, especially none of his that are known to get a little… wild every now and then. That doesn’t stop him from inviting her every time they cross paths in the uni halls because hey, you never know, right? 

Case in point.

The tall redhead is watching the group with interest, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips. Tony feels himself swallow, still not moving from his hunched over position as he waits for her to start talking. In the end, it isn’t her who speaks but the other redhead instead. 

“I didn’t think you’d come. Here, sit down.” 

Natasha uses her feet to kick Scott in the side, rather roughly signalling him to move over and create more space for Pepper to use. Tony holds his breath, the muscles in his back tense. There is no way he’s going to get that lucky tonight. He’s an asshole, the universe won’t reward him for throwing a party that his father has strictly forbidden him from throwing. 

Hell, the place is already trashed and it isn’t even past 1 in the morning. 

And yet, it looks like fate is on his side. After a moment of apparent hesitation, Pepper shrugs and makes herself comfortable between Scott and Natasha. She catches Tony’s gaze, that’s what he gets for staring at her like an idiot, and cocks her head to the side, one of her eyebrows arched in question. 

The silent challenge is enough for Tony to _finally_ catch himself. He slaps on his 100-watt Stark smirk and taps the bottle in his hand a few times. “My my, this is a surprise for sure. I have to agree with Romanoff. Didn’t think you’d show up here, Potts. To what do I owe the pleasure?” 

“Well,” Pepper says without missing a beat, “Someone kept on badgering me about going.” Her teasing tone has Tony struggling to let his grin turn into something way too proud. “I thought this might make him shut up and leave me be.”  
  
“No way in hell. You fit perfectly into the party scene.” At least like this. Her hair falls free instead of being kept in a neat ponytail and the sight is enough to make Tony drool. What he’d give to run his hands through those red locks, twirl them around his fingers as he whispers the most filthy things into her ear—

“Alright, Romeo. Get it together.” Natasha Romanoff, professional daydream killer. Tony frowns at her but she isn’t paying any attention to him. “You want to join in on the fun, Pepper? We’re playing 7 minutes in heaven. Stark’s idea.” 

If Natasha thinks that he’ll feel bad about suggesting a game mostly played in high school by a bunch of horny teenagers, she’s in for a surprise. Tony isn’t going to apologize for it, not when Pepper is currently nodding in agreement and officially taking part in said juvenile game.

Honestly, sometimes his ideas are just the best. 

Tony redirects his attention back to the bottle, sending a silent prayer towards the big guy above, if he’s still listening and hasn’t tuned out after that first way too loud make-out session between Steve and Nat, and sends it spinning with a little too much force than necessary.

The bottle spins and spins, not slowing down for quite a while. When it finally starts to slow, Tony has leaned back and propped himself up on his hands. He watches, eyes narrowing as the bottle loses more and more of its momentum until it stills, at last, the neck pointing straight at—

Holy fucking shit. 

“I swear to god, you’re the luckiest son of a bitch out there, Stark.” 

Usually, Tony would be very quick to argue with Natasha about that but not now - because that reeking, cheap beer bottle is pointing straight at Pepper. It leaves Tony with the urge to pick it up and kiss it. Oh, he is one lucky son of a bitch, indeed. 

“Potts,” Tony drawls in a deep voice as he stands (not jumps, please, he isn’t that desperate) up, staring at the woman in question. To his surprise, Pepper doesn’t look that put out. Not at all, in fact, and he isn’t saying that just to make himself feel better. Sure, her lips are pursed and she’s looking at him as if she’s debating whether or not he calculated that spin.

Which is a ridiculous assumption, for the most part. 

He comes to a halt in front of her, hand outstretched to help her up. Fear starts to creep into his skin when Pepper doesn’t react, only to completely drain out of him when she shakes her head and reaches for him. The whole crowd that has gathered around the circle of friends starts cheering loudly as Tony makes his way towards the small closet, still holding onto Pepper’s hand. 

Letting go would give her the chance to chicken out and he isn’t about to let that happen. Tony isn’t top of his class for nothing - he _is_ a genius. 

Clint is leaning against the opened door, grin as wide as Tony’s own as he watches them approach. 

“Now, remember the rules. 7 minutes, no more, no less. You can do whatever you want in there but _don’t_ leave stains.” Tony opens his mouth, ready to protest but Clint isn’t having any of it. “I don’t care that it’s your house, Stark. The next people going in there shouldn’t be forced to endure the smell of your jizz. Keep it clean.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure of that.” Pepper sounds fairly amused as she brushes past Tony and enters the small space that will be theirs for the following 7 minutes - and against all odds, Tony feels his composure starting to slip. He’s man enough to admit when he’s nervous, although he has no idea _why_ that is. He’s Tony Stark, being alone with a pretty woman is his favourite past time activity. 

Thing is, it has never happened with Pepper. They don’t do this kind of stuff. They bicker, they argue, they stare at each other until one of them gives in and looks away (or one of their friends interrupts the moment when both of them fail to do so) but that’s it. She’s almost like a friend to him - and god knows Tony doesn’t have a lot of those. 

It strikes him, as he follows her into the dark broom closet, that he doesn’t want to give up this friendship. It would be _so much better_ if kissing was involved, there is no doubt about that, but Tony is uncertain if that option is on the table. And if he has to decide between 7 minutes of bliss, followed by a lasting silence between them and preserving what they have right now, he’ll choose the latter. 

It’s the most awful thought to have moments before being locked inside the closet they both occupy now. Tony can hardly believe what his brain just told him to do - but he’s learned to listen to it over the years. Believe it or not, using it to think instead of his dick actually works out more often than not. 

Their friend’s cheering dies down to a low dull as the heavy door is closed. Even with everything running through his head, Tony is surprised by how quiet it actually gets. He didn’t think a damn broom closet would be soundproof. Typical of his father, the guy probably does secret experiments in here that he doesn’t want his wife to know about. 

Tony turns towards the silhouette of Pepper that he barely can make out in the darkness. It’ll take his eyes a moment to get used to the lack of light, which means he doesn’t get the luxury of watching the features of her face for the moment, which is a shame but they don’t need to see each other to talk, right? Because that’s what they are about to do. Talk. 

Like Clint said, everything in here is allowed, including doing nothing. 

Taking a deep breath, Tony prepares himself to let this once in a lifetime opportunity pass by. He’s doing the right thing here, isn’t he? His dick most likely isn’t going to agree with that but fuck it, for once he’s going to ignore it. 

“Listen, Potts. I know that we have our differences, many of them, but that doesn’t mean I don’t value you. Because I do, seriously. A lot. So much that this doesn’t have to amount to anything. I mean, it can but I’m not going to be mad if it doesn’t. Promise. Alright, maybe a little bit but I’ll get over it, don’t worry about that. Okay, here’s what I’m trying to say—”

Fingers curl themselves into the fabric of Tony’s shirt, the pressure against his throat thankfully enough to shut him up and keep him from further embarrassing himself. He thinks that Pepper must have had enough of his rambling and gets ready to spend the remaining 6 minutes and 34 seconds (not that he’s counting) in silence.

What he doesn’t expect is to be shoved backwards until his back hits the door rather hard. A sharp exhale is all he gets out before there is a hot mouth pressed against his own, successfully robbing Tony of any air he has left in his lungs. 

Pepper Potts is an aggressive kisser. A _very_ aggressive kisser. Who would have thought?

Tony barely has time to open his mouth and respond to the kiss with equal fervour before the feeling of her body tightly pressed against his own causes his brain to short-circuit again. Truth be told, Tony has no idea what the hell has possessed her or how he is supposed to keep up with any of this but Pepper doesn’t seem to mind being the one in charge - and he sure as hell doesn’t either. 

Her free hand comes up to grab a fistful of his hair and then she’s pulling on it, tilting his head the way she wants it to be. Tony grunts as the new angle allows her to lick into his mouth. He allows her a few seconds before he fights back, his own tongue trying to gain the upper hand. 

It works as well as he expects it to. Pepper is merciless in her exploring and backing down apparently isn’t an option she’s willing to consider. A sharp tug on his hair has Tony whimpering and he decides that fighting her isn’t worth the smug satisfaction he’d get from winning. 

“Potts,” Tony gasps out, head tilted back as Pepper’s teeth graze the sensitive skin of his neck, making him see stars. “Potts, wait. _Fuck_. I need…” He has no idea what he needs. For her to stop and give him a minute to collect himself. For her to continue because he’s positive he’ll die if she doesn’t. 

Whatever the case, Pepper doesn’t care much for his incoherent babbling as she continues to nibble at the spot right under his ear and for the first time since he’s been 14, Tony is afraid he’s going to embarrass himself. 

His cock is straining against the fabric of his pants. He can’t remember the last time a simple make-out session has had him this hard and ready, which is just further proof for Pepper’s unnatural powers - or maybe it’s the fact that no other woman before has pinned him against a door and taken what she wants in such an aggressive fashion. 

God, is this what it’s like to catch feelings? Or maybe it’s just his dick speaking. Right now, Tony can’t tell those two things apart and he so isn’t about to stop what he’s doing to figure it out. 

He reaches down, settling his hands on Pepper’s ass. He squeezes and she makes a sound, the first sound she’s made since the door closed. It’s something between a groan and a whimper and it has Tony’s cock twitching in anticipation. Clint’s words echo weakly in his mind, those rules he’s supposed to follow but fuck it, this is _his_ house and he does have certain privileges in here. 

And if he wants to rut against Pepper’s leg until he’s completely spent then that’s his goddamn right. 

The tongue tracing the outline of Tony’s ear rips him out of his fantasy and right back into the present. He grunts into the darkness, dropping his mouth to her neck and latching onto it. It’s about time he gets his head in the game and gains some ground because, frankly, it’s embarrassing how little power he has. 

Pepper’s hand in his hair tightens to an almost painful degree, Tony makes a mental note to analyze how much it turns him on later, when he finds a sensitive spot on her neck and sucks. Hard. The sharp gasp she lets out is easily the most beautiful sound he’s ever heard in his life. 

“Don’t leave a mark,” she says, voice barely above a whisper. Telling him what to do is the worst thing she can do in this moment - because, of course, it makes Tony want to do it all the more, which is exactly what he does. Closing his teeth above the skin he’s just worked on, he bites down. 

He isn’t possessive normally, doesn’t leave marks. The people he sleeps with are nothing more than a few hours of entertainment in his eyes and Tony feels no connection to them whatsoever. Hell, most of the time he doesn’t even know their names or his drunken mind forgets them as soon as they enter it. 

But this is _Pepper_ and she’s usually so composed, so proper, so out of fucking reach and it’s probably not even her intent to drive Tony wild but she does. By god, she does and the thought of marking her for the entire world to see sends him into overdrive. The distinct sound of her voice telling him something, probably to stop, is so far away that he ignores it. 

At least until he feels one of her legs shove its way between his legs to rub his erection in the best way possible. Tony lets go of the red skin he’s been teasing to groan into Pepper's neck as his hands that are still grabbing her ass pull her closer to give him more friction. 

“Fuck,” he moans, hips snapping forward as his thrusts start gaining speed. He expects Pepper to pull away, to tell him to stop, anything but stay there and allow him to grind against her like an animal in heat. But that’s exactly what she does. She pulls his head up so she can attack his mouth once more with her tongue and Tony is helpless to do anything but return the kiss. 

He wants to say that she needs to slow down but his mouth is filled with her taste and it’s too delicious, too hot, too _perfect_ and he stays quiet, allowing the pooling heat in his stomach to grow. There are too many clothes between them for Tony’s liking but Pepper has him pinned to this door, gripping his head and shoving her thigh against his cock over and over again while Tony is forced to stay there and take it. 

That, coupled with the fact that it’s _Pepper_ doing this to him, that it’s _Pepper’s_ leg shoved between his, that it’s _Pepper’s_ hips grinding into him—

It’s too much. Tony breaks away from the kiss with the intention of telling her to stop but he’s past the opportunity to do so. The only sound that leaves his mouth is a strangled cry that distinctly resembles her name and then his lower body is wildly thrusting forward, searching for her warmth as Tony empties himself into his boxers. 

He hasn’t come into his pants since he was a fucking teenager, which is equally fascinating and embarrassing. So is the fact that his orgasm seems to completely drain him of his energy. He drops his head forward, resting it on her shoulder as he shudders through his climax, Pepper’s hand now stroking through his hair instead of pulling on it, helping to prolong the ordeal. 

It’s strangely intimate but Tony can’t muster up the energy to think too much into it, not when he’s busy panting into her shoulder as if he just ran a marathon. 

Time is a strange concept when you’re stuck in a dark closet, clinging to a woman that just made you come in your pants like you’re a 16-year-old virgin. Tony isn’t sure how long they stay like that, how long Pepper holds him but eventually she let’s go and takes a step back.

As far as broom closets go, this one is pretty big and allows her to get a decent amount of distance between them. Tony wants to follow, he really does. He wants to turn them around, pin her against the door for a change and shove his hand down her pants to see how wet she is. She _must_ be, he’s sure of it. But in his state, all he can do is sack back against the door and stare at her. 

His eyes have finally adjusted to the darkness and he can see her chest rise and fall even with her face still mostly hidden in the shadows. There is no way she isn’t turned on by this. For god’s sake, does she even understand just how much she made him lose his cool? 

“Pep, I—” 

He doesn’t get further than that. Clint decides that this is the perfect time to yank the door open, robbing Tony of his support. He falls backwards with a very unmanly scream. His back hits the ground, this time knocking the breath out of him for an entirely different reason.

“God fucking damn it, Barton,” Tony says, one of his hands coming up to shield his eyes from the bright lights shining down on him. “Give a guy a warning.” 

Clint is as considerate as ever. “Didn’t your genius brain realize that the time was up? I thought you’d count the seconds.” Well, he had done that but then Pepper shoved her tongue in his mouth and thinking became an unnecessary thing to do. 

Speaking of Pepper.

Tony lifts his head just in time to see her walk out of the dark space. Unlike him, Pepper doesn’t make a fool of herself, even stepping over him like he is some trash bag on the floor. Her face is flushed but not too much, just a slight tingle of red that highlights her freckles. 

She’s never looked more beautiful than in this moment, Tony decides on a whim while he’s lying on the floor and staring up at her. 

“Thank you for the invitation,” Pepper says, not looking back at him as she heads for the door. “It was better than I expected it to be.” And then, just like that, she’s gone.  
  
Tony stares after her for a long time, until Clint clears his throat and reminds him that he’s at a party, _his_ party, and that there is an entire room watching him. He scrambles off the floor, dusting off his pants as he comes to a stand. He looks up and frowns at the disbelieving stares he gets from a lot of the people present, including Rhodey and Natasha.

“What?”  
  
“Dude,” Rhodey says and points at him, “What the hell happened to your pants?” 

_Oh fuck_. 

Tony begs the ground to swallow him whole as he observes the wet patch clearly visible on the front of his jeans. He feels his cheeks turning red as blood rushes into them and the embarrassment that everyone _knows_ forces him to excuse himself with a short comment about going upstairs and into his room.

He totally doesn’t hear Clint complaining about him for breaking the rules, or how Natasha ends the game because she’s sure that no one wants to enter that closet after what has apparently just happened in there. The retrieve to his room is humiliating but necessary and he doesn’t emerge from within there until the sun comes up the next morning and he’s forced to clean up the mess his guests left him with.

It’s normal that he’s thinking about Pepper while picking up empty beer bottles and pizza boxes. It’s also normal that he continues to think about her throughout the rest of the day. Alright, maybe he’s got it bad but that is completely normal, right? 

It takes Tony 3 days in which he fails to pick up a new girl and enjoys the company of his own hand more than anyone else that he realizes just how fucked he truly is.

  
  


~*~

  
  


Pepper doesn’t look up when he sits down beside her. Her eyes are firmly locked on the book in her hands, although she does acknowledge his presence with a quiet (and annoyed) huff. Good enough, Tony decides. 

“So, everybody thinks we’re doing it,” he says, not seeing any way to beat around the bush with this topic. Admittedly, it’s not as if that would work with her even if he tried. 

Pepper’s eyes stay right where they are, focused on the book. “Everybody?”  
  
“Well,” He scratches the back of his neck, shocked to discover that he’s actually _sweating_. Fucking hell, he’s got it bad. “Everybody who was at my party last weekend. Rhodes, Romanoff, Barton. They all think that.”  
  
“Is that so?” She turns a page. Tony thinks about slapping that stupid book out of her hand and kissing her senseless. 

“Yeah, and well, they aren’t exactly _wrong_.” 

“Aren’t they?”  
  
“You’re killing me here, woman. Come on, Potts.” Isn’t it enough that she made him come in his pants and then left him there? Is it necessary to torture him like this as well now? Apparently so because she shows no sign of giving in. He lets a wounded sound slip past his lips. “Potts, please. Can’t we, you know, talk?”

“Talk about what?”  
  
“You know what!” Tony sighs, dropping his head into his hands. This conversation is already giving him a headache. This is why he doesn’t talk about stuff. “Why do you have to make this so complicated? That’s _my_ job. You’re supposed to be the reasonable one here.” 

Pepper turns another page. “So you’re being the reasonable one right now?”  
  
“I’m trying to be, yeah!” She can’t be serious. Who, out of the two of them, is trying to talk about what happened last weekend and who is the one avoiding the conversation at all costs? “But you’re not giving me anything to work with.” 

She’s quiet for a moment. Then, she puts that fucking book down and turns to face him, her blue eyes fixing him with a stare. “Alright then, I’m listening. What do you want?”

“Thank you,” Tony says sincerely, shuffling closer to her and ignoring the frown she gives him. “As I was saying, they aren’t wrong about assuming this but I was thinking that—”  
  
“They are wrong.” 

“What?” Now, it’s his turn to frown. “Correct me if I’m wrong but I’m sure that there was _something_ happening in that closet.” He’s pretty sure of that, given that it’s all he’s thought about these past 3 days. The look Pepper levels him with actually has Tony doubting himself even though he’s been _there_ to witness it happen. 

“For you, not for me,” she tells him and for a split second, the corners of her lips twitch upwards, hinting at a smile. “I didn’t make a mess in my pants.” Ouch, she doesn’t have to attack his pride like that, it’s totally uncalled for. “So no, we aren’t technically doing it. You are.” 

Tony raises his hand in surrender, accepting the temporary defeat. 

“You’re right, Potts. I mean, not completely because _you_ started that entire encounter but I ended up getting more out of it than you did and that isn’t fair.” He leans forward, right into her personal space, an action that earns him a scowl. “Allow me to change that.” 

His words catch her off guard and thank god for that because this hasn’t happened in a while. Pepper is silent for a moment, watching him. Tony isn’t sure what she’s looking for but whatever it is, she seems to find it when she replies with a low, “You’re serious.”  
  
Her somber voice surprises him. Sure, he isn’t the most honest guy but does she really think he’d lie about something like this? Not to mention that he lost the ability to lie to her a good while ago. 

“Absolutely,” he assures her. “I hate leaving my girls—”  
  
“Do _not_ call me that or I swear to god — ”  
  
“Alright, my partners—“

“Oh my god, you’re unbelievable—” 

“Fine! I hate leaving _you_ unattended. There.”

That, him singling her out, finally shuts her up. They sit there, staring at each other as people pass by, oblivious to the silent battle taking place right in front of them. Tony isn’t sure why she’s hesitating. 

Pepper can deny it with all her heart but no matter what she tells him, he won’t believe that she doesn’t want him. She wouldn’t have kissed him like that and made those sounds if she hadn’t been into it. 

“Okay.” 

Tony blinks, eyes focusing on the woman in front of him. He’s been so wrapped up in his thoughts that he nearly misses that word, that one single word that instantly makes his heart beat faster. 

“Are you sure?” 

She has the nerve to roll her eyes at him. 

“I wouldn’t have said okay if I hadn’t meant it.” 

“Fair point,” Tony replies, holding her gaze. Only when he’s made sure that Pepper isn’t about to change her answers does he get up. “Alright then.”  
  
Pepper raises an eyebrow at him, mouth opening as if she’s about to ask a question. But since it’s a common theme today (and has worked rather well for him so far), Tony doesn’t give her the chance to complain. He simply grabs her hand and pulls her to her feet. She lets out an angry yelp but doesn’t do much to protest his action as he starts pulling her in the direction of the nearest bathroom. 

“What, like right now?” comes the question after a moment of silence. Tony grins to himself. His Pepper, always quick to catch on, and surprisingly unopposed to the idea. His earlier assumption proves to be right after all, not that that’s very surprising. 

Tony isn’t the best when it comes to feelings or a lot of other things involving people but he knows when someone wants him - and the way Pepper’s hand is gripping his right now is _very_ telling. 

“Right now,” he confirms and hears no objection. 

  
  


~*~

  
  


“I’m on a timetable here,” Pepper grits out moments after Tony locks the door to the bathroom and pushes her up against it. “Can you be quick?” He doesn’t know if it’s supposed to be an insult or not but he’s in a good mood right now and refuses to let anything or anyone change that. 

“Sorry, I don’t think that’s possible.” He tries to lean in but Pepper’s hand on his chest stops him before he’s able to reach anything. His eyes flicker to hers and Tony _knows_ what she’s about to say before she actually says it. 

“I saw something completely different last weekend.” 

The grin on her face has no business making her this beautiful, especially not when she’s attacking his pride in such a rude manner. She clearly has no idea how it feels to have a gorgeous woman pressed against her body, doing the most filthy things with her tongue and hips. 

Or maybe she does but thinking about that will make Tony lose his cool even quicker than he did in that closet. 

“One day I’ll make sure to get that pretty mouth of yours to shut up,” Tony growls, relishing in the shudder he feels running through her body. “But for now, I have different plans.” 

Plans that involve a lot less talking and a lot more primal sounds. He is, after all, a man that has spent the past days jerking off instead of finding beautiful woman to ravish. There is a lot of catching up to do. 

Pepper must agree because he gets her away from the door and bent over the sink in a matter of moments. His mouth is on the back of her neck, sucking and licking as he pushes her skirt up and lets it bunch around her waist. 

  
  


~*~

  
  


“Well,” Tony says with still laboured breathing, working on refastening his pants, “This was certainly something.” 

Pepper turns around as she straightens her clothes and gives him this look, the one that tells him that she’s one snarky remark away from attacking his pride once more, even though she was gasping his name not even 5 minutes ago. Still, Tony doesn’t want an argument, not in this blissful state, so he leans forward and catches her mouth in a soft kiss instead. 

He doesn’t expect Pepper to _freeze_. Tony frowns, wondering if he’s done something wrong. Surely she isn’t surprised by this. Hell, he was buried inside her just moments ago, a kiss isn’t anything in comparison. 

Just as he’s about to pull back and apologize (for whatever he’s done), Pepper’s hand cups the back of his neck and pulls him closer, deepening the small peck. Tony doesn’t complain, just happy to taste her once more. The smile on his face when they have to pull back for air probably makes him look pretty silly. 

“Are you happy now?”  
  
“Mhm,” he hums, not able to keep himself from stealing another kiss. “I’ll be even happier if we repeat this tonight in a real bed. This way I won’t have to worry about hurting you.” And the possibility of getting caught by a college student who needs to piss won’t be quite that high. 

This time, there is no mistaking the look of utter surprise on Pepper’s face. 

Tony cocks his head to the side. “What is it?”  
  
“So, you…” She trails off and he can _see_ the wheels turning in her head. “You want to do this again?”  
  
“Of course I want to do this again.” This woman has the ability to baffle him like no one else does. Why the hell wouldn’t he want this again? It was perfect, _is_ perfect, and Tony is pretty sure that the feeling is mutual. “Don’t you?”  
  
“I didn’t say that.”  
  
“Well, you sort of implied it with that hesitant look on your face.”  
  
“I did not — ”  
  
“Oh yes, you did and I don’t — ”  
  
“—hesitate. I just wasn't expecting—” 

“—understand how you could doubt that I’d want more when you are—”  
  
“ — you to be interested after you got what you wanted.”  
  
“—this perfect.”

Pepper is staring at him like he’s grown a second head and Tony isn’t looking any better, his mouth half-opened as he struggles to find the right words. What the hell is he supposed to say to that? She’s got a point, he isn’t known for wasting time between one girl and the next.  
  
But this is _Pepper_ and Tony isn’t stupid enough to let a chance at something real pass by - which means he’ll have to be honest about his feelings and god, isn’t that a scary thought? He takes a deep breath and takes a shot. 

“I don’t want this to be a one-time thing. I like you even though you completely embarrassed me at my own party and then left me there.” Which turned him on more than he is going to admit right now. 

She’s quiet, just watching him. That isn’t a good sign. Pepper loves talking. About _everything_. Honestly, sometimes it’s impossible to get her to shut up - another reason why they can easily talk for hours, given that Tony isn’t much better in that regard. Once they really get going, it’s on and her silence right now scares him. 

“Pepper?” he asks softly, already thinking about how he can take his words back. It’s cowardly but Tony isn’t about to let her stomp on his heart. “It’s cool if you don’t want that. This was great and we can leave it at that. I was just saying that if you want more, I wouldn’t mind.” 

His eyes focus on the wall to his right, no longer able to hold her gaze. It’s only when he hears her laugh softly that he dares to look back. 

“You’re an idiot,” she says but her voice is so warm and her eyes burn so bright that Tony can’t bring himself to get upset over the insult. Instead, he presses on. 

“That’s not an answer.” 

“Isn’t it?”  
  
“Don’t start this again.”  
  
“I will if you’re going to back out this easily.” 

If he wasn’t so smitten, Tony would have pointed out how cruel she could be. 

“Alright, here it comes. Pepper, will you become my official fuck buddy?” 

She sighs but her smile lets Tony know that he’s won. Now, it’s only down to the formalities. 

“That’s what you’re going to introduce me as every time we go out?” Her hands are stroking up and down his back, the feeling making Tony want to bury his head in her neck and fall asleep right there. “That could get embarrassing.”  
  
“Fine, how about my girlfriend? I know I don’t have much experience in that area but I promise that I’ll take you out to movies and those expensive dinners and buy you new shoes when I accidentally flirt with our waitress.” He kisses her cheek. “Just give me a chance and I’ll prove myself to you.”  
  
Pepper is a smart woman, one of the smartest that Tony knows. He is aware that most people with common sense would tell him no, that he isn’t going to change just because he promises to - and he can’t blame them for thinking that.

Luckily, Pepper isn’t most people.  
  
“Don’t flirt with our waitress or I’ll dump that expensive wine you ordered for me all over your head.” 

Tony has never been quicker to agree with anything in his entire life, “Got it.” He doesn’t bother to fight the grin spreading over his face, it’s well earned, after all. “So, what are we going to do now?”  
  
“Now,” Pepper says flatly and pushes him back a few feet so she can make herself presentable using the mirror behind her, “I’m going to get back to my dorm and change. And you’ll pick up the stuff you made me abandon when you pulled me in here earlier and replace everything that got stolen.”  
  
“So bossy,” Tony murmurs. “I love it.” 

He comes up behind her, sliding one of his arms around her waist. Pepper lets out a comical squeak as Tony presses one last kiss to her neck. 

“On it, Potts. And remember my promise about using that bed of yours to its full potential.”  
  
Their eyes meet in the mirror and what he sees there takes Tony’s breath away.  
  
“I can’t wait for it. Now go.”

Tony doesn’t know much about relationships but he does know that listening to his girlfriend is probably a good place to start. He shoots Pepper a wink and then exists the bathroom, smiling to himself the entire way back to their table.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and Comments are appreciated!


End file.
